A little bit about me…
Hey There!
Welcome to Garden Gnome Academy, your ultimate resource for plant care tips, design inspiration, and all things about gardening.
I’m Lindsay, a longtime plant geek with a passion for all things growing. I’m excited to share my knowledge and experience, and I hope to inspire others to go play in the dirt. Thanks for coming on this gardening journey with me!
My love of working with plants started with my first landscape maintenance job after graduating high school. I continued to cultivate my growing garden addiction in college by taking Permaculture courses. In 2012, I completed my Permaculture Design certification at Pacific University.
After graduating from college, I spent several summer seasons working in landscape maintenance before getting a job as the lead grower/pest and disease manager at a plant nursery in Bend, Oregon. I had the opportunity to start an in-house program growing most of the veggies and herbs we sold from seed. I was also responsible for growing our annual flowers and hanging baskets.
In 2020 I had the opportunity to work as the gardener at Kinloch Wilderness Retreat in Central Otago, New Zealand. In addition to maintaining their extensive ornamental and food gardens, I was tasked with replacing a steep, grass-covered bank with native plants. Inspired by the Hugelkultur concept, I built a three-tiered terrace system from locally sourced, natural materials to stabilize the hillside while the native plants get established.
My work experience has taught me about more than plant expertise; I learned to appreciate and cultivate the spirit of the garden and understand that plant people are a very special breed.
My goal is to help other people learn more about growing plants and cultivate a love of dirt, sunshine, and growing things.
Let’s get gardening!